Sosa Is in Uncharted Territory

For almost 40 years no one hit 60 home runs. Now Sammy Sosa has done it three times in four seasons.

Sosa became the first player with three 60-homer seasons Tuesday night, a mark as impressive for its power as its consistency.

“It’s kind of mind-boggling to see what he’s done,” Chicago Cub Manager Don Baylor said. “You go almost 40 years with nobody hitting 60, and he’s done it three times already. It’s a pretty incredible feat.”

But not enough to keep the Cubs from being eliminated from postseason contention. Adam Dunn hit a solo homer off Kyle Farnsworth in the top of the ninth inning, giving the Cincinnati Reds a 5-4 victory over the Cubs.

Dmitri Young and D.T. Cromer also homered for the Reds.

The loss, along with St. Louis’ 5-1 victory over Milwaukee, eliminated the Cubs from the NL wild-card race.

“This summer’s been a beautiful thing for our team to come a long way from last year,” Sosa said. “When the season’s over, I can go home and I don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

That’s an understatement. While Barry Bonds chases Mark McGwire’s single-season record of 70 home runs, Sosa has been awesomely consistent.

“I never surprise myself,” Sosa said, smiling. “[But] I surprise a lot of people.”

He’s one of only five players to hit 60 homers, and the only one to do it three times. He hit 66 homers in 1998, when McGwire set the single-season record and followed that with 63 in 1999, when McGwire hit 65.

No. 60 this year was a solo homer in the first off Reds left-hander Lance Davis, an arching shot to left-center. The fans let out a roar when they saw the ball leave his bat, knowing it was gone.

“When I hit that one, at that moment, I feel great because everybody in the whole world was waiting for me to do that,” Sosa said. “I was getting a little bit anxious up there trying to please my people and my team.”

When the ball cleared the wall, the scoreboard’s message board flashed “Sammy Hits 60 Again!” and the fans clapped until Sosa came out for a curtain call. The homer also gave him 150 RBIs, only the seventh time a player has hit 50 homers and had 150 RBIs. Sosa, who did it in 1998, is the only player to have done it since World War II.

Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx reached 50 homers and 150 RBIs twice. Hack Wilson did it once.

“I’m not going to say to you it’s nice, but I cannot sit back and relax right now and think about it,” Sosa said.

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Back in the 60s

Sammy Sosa became the first person to have three 60-homer seasons. Players who have hit at least 60 homers in a season:

70--Mark McGwire, 1998 St. Louis Cardinals

69--Barry Bonds, 2001 San Francisco Giants*

66--Sammy Sosa, 1998 Chicago Cubs

65--Mark McGwire, 1999 St. Louis Cardinals

63--Sammy Sosa, 1999 Chicago Cubs

61--Roger Maris, 1961 New York Yankees

60--Babe Ruth, 1927 New York Yankees

60--Sammy Sosa, 2001 Chicago Cubs*

*--Current